Automatic signaling means for toy tracks



Dec. 9, 1930. H. s. BECKER AUTOMATIC SIGNALING MEANS FOR TOY TRACKS Filed March 14, 1928 Harr Patented Dec, 9, 1936 umreosrafrss PATENT/OFFICE HARRY S. BECKER, 0F RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN FLYER V 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS AUTOMATIC SIGNALING MEANS rota my mums Application filed March 14, 1928. Serial No. 261,637. I

the signal being readily and conveniently 10- cated without the necessity of utilizing a special track section. V

Where electric lamps or other signals have been used in the past it has been customary to utilize a special track section having one of the wheel bearing rails insulated at each end from the adjoining rail of adjacent sections by the use of fibre joint pins or the like, the signal or other device to be operated being included in circuit with the special track section. The present invention therefore aims to obviate the use of a special track section of the type set forth and provide a device which may be readily fitted to any section of track thereby not only having the advantage of easy application and removal but also providing a unit which may be economically made and which is simple and reliable in operation to produce the desired signaling effects.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined signaling unit and track attachment wherein the signaling means, such for example as electric lamps, remain dark; except when a train is passing over the location of thetrack attachment.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which v V Figure is a top plan view of the invention.

Fig. '2,is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation. I

, Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the circuits involved. I

Similar reference characters. designate corresponding .parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

According to the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings the present signaling means comprises a signal proper designated generally as A and a track attach ment B, both being electriclly connected by suitable wiring in a manner that will be presently referred to.- I w The track attachment B" preferably includes in its organization aninsulated block or base 1 "adapted to lie beneath the wheel bearing rails R and R and also beneath the electrically charged third rail B and carries therewith a rigid track abutment 2 adapted to engage the rail 'R. andthe yielding clip membersfi and 4 which are mounted on the underside-of the base 1 but projectupwardly tlrroughlthe opening 5' to engage with the third rail R The purpose ofm'embers 3 and dis to enable the attachmentto be fitted toeitlierthesoballed 0 gauge track or the wide standard gauge track now generally. in use. That is to say, when a standard gauge track is used the spring clip 3 will engage with the third rail B but when the attachment is applied to an 0 gauge track section the spring clip lrwill engage the third rail;

The fixedor rigidtrack abutment 2 performs no electrical function and is therefore completely isolated on the insulating base 1 The spring clips 3 and 4 however, which are adapted; to work in opposition to the fixed abutment '2, are included in the electric cir- 'cuit of the signal since they engage with the electrically charged third rail, andftherefore said members 3, and 4' are-connected with the wireterminfl 6. 1 j 3 i The base 1 also'carries therewith the upstanding; spring contact fingers 'zand 8,: the same being riveted or otherwisefa'stened to the base 1 parallel to the position of the wheel bearing rails and R; Aswill be observed from 1 and '3, these contact members lot have their free ends disposed in opposite direct-ions and are adapted to lie in close proximity to the heads of the rails R and R so that as the wheels of a car or train pass over the rails the flanges thereof will engage said contacts and thus temporarily become a part of the ground circuit of the track as the wheels bear both on the rails: and the contacts. The, said contact 7 is connected by means of a metallic strip or other conductor 9 with a wire terminal 10 and likewise the contact 8 is connected by a metallic strip or other conductor 11 with a wire terminal clip 12.

Referring to Fig. 4 and assuming that the signal to be operated is of the flashing lamp type, it will be observed that the lamps 13 and 14 which have one terminal grounded to the frame of the signal are respectively connected by the wires 10 and 12 to the terminal clips 10 and 12 on the attachment, while the frame of the signal which constitutes the ground G for the lamp is connected by a wire 6 with the terminal clip 6'that is electrically in contact with the third rail R When the attachment is-applied to a track in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and2 it will be apparent that both of the lamps 13 and 14 are normally dark because the circuit from the electrically charged third rail R cannot pass through the lamp filaments until the contacts 7 and 8 are included inthe ground circuit formed by the wheel bearing rails R and R. Thus, ordinarily the circuit to these lamps is not closed until the metallic wheels of the car or train bearing on the rails R and R also engage with the contact fingers7 and 8. 1 When the wheels cause this engagement the'circuit is'temporarily closed through the lamps l3 and 14 thus producing an intermittent'illumination of the lamps due to the circuit being closedby the wheels of the car or train passing over the location of the at tachment.

WVithout further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the tame one of their terminals grounded to the signaling unit, a third rail track sectionhaving the wheel engaging rails grounded and an electrically charged thir'drail, of an insulating member fitted to said track section, apair of spring contact members carried by the insulated member adjacent the grounded wheel engaging rails of the track section, electric connections between said spring contact members andthe other'terminals of said signal lamps, andan electric connection betweentheelectrically-1 charged third rail of the track section and the ground of the signaling unit. p i

3. A toy railway signaling unit comprising in combinatiom'a signaling device including a pair of signal lamps having one of their terminals grounded to thesignaling device, a track section having grounded wheel engaging rails and an electrically charged third rail, an insulating member fitted to said track section including a pair ofspring contactmembers carried by the insulated member adjacent the grounded wheel bearing rails of the track section, said contact members being arranged one in advance of the other in the track section, electric conneo tions between said spring contact members and the other terminals of said signal lamps, and an electric connection between the electrically charged third rail of the track section and the ground of the signaling device.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature.

HARRY S. BECKER.

1. Railway signaling means comprising, in

combination with the rails and a source of current, a contact device located adjacent to each rail adapted to be engaged by a wheel passing over the rail to close a signal circuit,

said contact devices being disalined laterally with respect to one another to secure a maximum number of clrcult closings by a minimum amount of travel of a vehicle over the rails at any given rate of speed. 

